The problem here is the void -- there aren't enough people in it. And
simply distance.
Suggesting that neighbors get together will be unsuccessful or worse. If
there's only one broadband customer on the block (because they're
sharing it with everyone else) then there's no incentive for the
companies to extend the service.
The problem in rural areas is technology and customer density. Until one
of those problems is fixed, nothing is going to happen. DSL just doesn't
work, and the cost of other options is too high for companies to pursue.
One way to solve the problem is to tell the phone companies that if they
want to maintain their monopoly, they should replace all that copper
with fiber. In this country, however, the national policy is not to
extend broadband but to protect corporate profits.
Broadband availability is now a factor in real estate decisions. What
once was heralded as a way to allow anyone to work anywhere they chose
is now having the effect of further marginalizing people in rural areas.
Tom Piwowar wrote:
They say markets abhor vacuums. I took a trip up to NYC yesterday and saw
first hand how lots of money can be made by filling voids. This broadband
problem looks like another such voids. Especially now when so many
skilled people are losing jobs -- including telco workers -- the skills
are certainly around to fix this "last mile" problem.
As you say, WiFi can do the job. WiMax can probably do it better. Instead
of having a few individuals barter with neighbors one by one, the market
void would be better filled by an entrepreneur advertising for
cooperative homeowners. Each of these access points could probably serve
many nearby houses. A win-win situation for everyone.
Get friendly with a neighbor not too far away who has cable ...make a deal
with them to share the internet connection and cost ...put it in writing as
a little contract in case you shoot their dog or something ...what you are
doing is getting a wifi router and hooking into their cable ...if their
speed is slow, offer to pay for the higher speed so everything works without
problems ...smart, eh?
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